Social Media Studio

Connect your users’ social accounts and publish or schedule their ad copies and creatives across X, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and YouTube Shorts — from one composer with a live per-network preview.

This is a Paid plugin that you can purchase and install via the in-app Plugins marketplace.

Introduction

Social Media Studio lets your users connect their social accounts and publish or schedule their generated ad copies and ad creatives across X (Twitter), LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and YouTube Shorts — all from a single composer with a pixel-accurate live preview for every network.

Unlike the generation studios, Social Media Studio is a publishing tool: it pulls the caption from an existing Ad Copy and the media from an existing Ad Creative, validates the combination against each network’s rules, then posts immediately, on a schedule, or on an auto-repost cadence.

This guide covers the full lifecycle — where to buy it, how to install it, how to register a developer app on each network and wire up its OAuth keys, how to configure pricing and access, the cron requirement for scheduling, and how each tool works.

Included Tools

• Compose — the studio. Load a caption from an ad copy (or write/AI-generate one), attach a creative, pick target accounts, preview per network, then publish now / schedule / auto-repost.
• Connections — connect, pause, reactivate or disconnect social accounts via secure OAuth.
• Calendar — a timeline of every upcoming scheduled/auto-repost delivery plus recently published posts.
• Posts — history of every post with per-network status (posted / scheduled / partial / failed), a detail view and delete.

Supported networks

Network	What it posts	Credentials required
X (Twitter)	Text, image, GIF, video	Client ID + Client Secret
LinkedIn	Text, image, video (member feed)	Client ID + Client Secret
Facebook	Text, photo, video (Page feed)	App ID + App Secret
Instagram	Image, video / Reels (Business account)	App ID + App Secret
TikTok	Video, photo	Client Key + Client Secret
YouTube	Long-form video	Client ID + Client Secret
YouTube Shorts	Vertical short-form video (#Shorts)	Shares the YouTube credentials

YouTube and YouTube Shorts share one Google OAuth client; they’re treated as two independent destinations (separate connected accounts and callback URLs) so a user can target long-form and short-form separately.

Purchase & Installation

Social Media Studio is distributed through the in-app plugin marketplace — purchasing and installation both happen inside your MagicAds admin. There’s no third-party download.

1. Open the Plugins marketplace

   Sign in as an admin and go to Admin → General Settings → Plugins. Find the Social Media Studio card in the marketplace catalog.

2. Purchase (if required)

   The card CTA depends on your license and purchase state:

   • Free / already owned → installs directly.
   • Paid → routes you to the plugin checkout to complete the purchase.
   • Extended License holders → plugins flagged “free for Extended License” install without an extra purchase.

   If the page shows “This plugin is free only for Extended License holders”, you’re on a Regular License and must purchase Social Media Studio (or upgrade your license) to install it.

3. Install / activate

   Click Install on the Social Media Studio card. The platform downloads the archive, unpacks it, runs its migrations and activates the plugin. This provisions the storage it needs for:

   • the plugin’s settings (feature flags, AI caption price and every network’s encrypted OAuth app credentials),
   • each user’s connected social accounts (with encrypted access/refresh tokens),
   • every composed post (caption + media snapshot + schedule),
   • and each network target within a post (its own status, remote id, retry and repost bookkeeping).

   The installer also registers the recurring publisher command (social-media-studio:publish-due) which the scheduler runs once a minute.

   On a fresh install everything is off by default. Installation only makes the routes and tables exist. The tools stay hidden from users until you enable the feature, enable at least one network, and add that network’s OAuth credentials (next sections).

To remove the plugin later, click Uninstall on the same card. Uninstalling removes the plugin’s files but leaves your data tables intact — it never drops user data.

Register a developer app for each network

Social Media Studio publishes on behalf of your users through each network’s official API, which requires an OAuth app (a client ID + secret) that you, the platform owner, register once per network. You then paste those credentials into the plugin config and whitelist the plugin’s callback URL.

Two things are true for every network below:

• Replace https://your-domain.com with your real MagicAds URL (its APP_URL).
• The exact callback URLs to register are shown, pre-filled and read-only, on the Social Media Studio config screen. Copy them from there to avoid typos.

Where AI caption generation is used inside the composer, that uses your central OpenAI key from Admin → AI Settings (openai_key) and spends credits. The per-network credentials below are only for publishing — they are separate from the social-login keys some platforms also offer.

Callback URLs at a glance

Network	Redirect / Callback URL to whitelist
X (Twitter)	https://your-domain.com/app/social-media-studio/callback/twitter
LinkedIn	https://your-domain.com/app/social-media-studio/callback/linkedin
Facebook	https://your-domain.com/app/social-media-studio/callback/facebook
Instagram	https://your-domain.com/app/social-media-studio/callback/instagram
TikTok	https://your-domain.com/app/social-media-studio/callback/tiktok
YouTube	https://your-domain.com/app/social-media-studio/callback/youtube
YouTube Shorts	https://your-domain.com/app/social-media-studio/callback/youtube-shorts

X (Twitter)

X uses OAuth 2.0 Authorization Code with PKCE.

1. Create a developer account

   Go to the X Developer Portal and sign in, then open a Project.

2. Create an App inside the Project

   Create an App under your Project. Give it a name your users will recognize on the consent screen.

3. Enable OAuth 2.0 user authentication

   In the App’s User authentication settings, turn on OAuth 2.0. Set Type of App to Web App / Automated App (confidential client) so you get a client secret.

4. Set the callback and permissions

   • Callback URI / Redirect URL: https://your-domain.com/app/social-media-studio/callback/twitter
   • Website URL: your MagicAds URL.
   • App permissions: Read and write (required to post and upload media).
5. Copy the credentials

   From Keys and tokens, copy the OAuth 2.0 Client ID and Client Secret.

6. Paste into the plugin

   Social Media Studio config → X (Twitter) → paste Client ID + Client Secret → toggle the network on → Save.

Scopes requested: tweet.read tweet.write users.read media.write offline.access.

Since X’s 2023 pricing overhaul, posting through the API is no longer effectively free. The Free tier allows only a very small monthly write cap (and is heavily rate-limited), so any real publishing volume requires the Basic tier ($100/month at time of writing) or higher. Check current X API pricing before going live, and size your plan to your expected posting volume. Media uploads use X’s chunked v2 media endpoint.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn uses OAuth 2.0 with OpenID Connect for identity and the Posts API for publishing.

1. Create an app

   Go to the LinkedIn Developer Portal → Create app. You must associate it with a LinkedIn Company Page you control.

2. Request products

   On the app’s Products tab, request Sign In with LinkedIn using OpenID Connect and Share on LinkedIn. These grant the scopes below. Approval is usually instant.

3. Set the redirect URL

   On the Auth tab, add the Authorized redirect URL: https://your-domain.com/app/social-media-studio/callback/linkedin

4. Copy the credentials

   From the Auth tab, copy the Client ID and Client Secret.

5. Paste into the plugin

   Social Media Studio config → LinkedIn → paste Client ID + Client Secret → toggle on → Save.

Scopes requested: openid profile email w_member_social.

This posts to the connected member’s personal feed via the Posts API. LinkedIn access tokens are long-lived (~60 days); when one expires the user simply reconnects from the Connections tab.

Facebook (Pages)

Facebook publishing uses the Meta Graph API. Connecting a Facebook account creates one connected destination per Page the user administers.

1. Create a Meta app

   Go to Meta for Developers → Create app → choose the Business type.

2. Add Facebook Login

   Add the Facebook Login product. Under its settings, enable Client OAuth Login and Web OAuth Login.

3. Set the redirect URI

   Facebook Login → Settings → Valid OAuth Redirect URIs: https://your-domain.com/app/social-media-studio/callback/facebook

4. Add permissions

   Under App Review → Permissions and Features, request: pages_show_list, pages_read_engagement, pages_manage_posts, pages_manage_metadata, plus public_profile.

5. Copy the credentials

   App settings → Basic → copy the App ID and App Secret.

6. Paste into the plugin

   Social Media Studio config → Facebook → paste App ID + App Secret → toggle on → Save.

Scopes requested: pages_show_list,pages_read_engagement,pages_manage_posts,pages_manage_metadata,public_profile.

While your Meta app is in Development mode it only works for users with a role on the app (admins/testers). To let real customers connect, complete App Review for the page-management permissions and switch the app to Live. Add your domain under App Settings → Basic → App Domains and complete Business Verification.

Instagram (Business / Creator)

Instagram publishing also runs through the Meta Graph API, so it requires an Instagram Business or Creator account that is linked to a Facebook Page. You can reuse the same Meta app as Facebook or create a separate one.

1. Use a Meta app with Instagram

   In your Meta app, add Facebook Login (as above) and the Instagram Graph API.

2. Set the redirect URI

   Add to Valid OAuth Redirect URIs: https://your-domain.com/app/social-media-studio/callback/instagram

3. Add permissions

   Request: instagram_basic, instagram_content_publish, pages_show_list, pages_read_engagement, business_management.

4. Copy the credentials

   App settings → Basic → copy the App ID and App Secret (you can use the same values as Facebook if it’s one app).

5. Paste into the plugin

   Social Media Studio config → Instagram → paste App ID + App Secret → toggle on → Save.

Scopes requested: instagram_basic,instagram_content_publish,pages_show_list,pages_read_engagement,business_management.

End users must have an Instagram Business/Creator account connected to a Facebook Page they administer, or no publishable account will be found. Instagram pulls the media from a public URL (see Media & storage). Personal Instagram accounts are not supported by the API.

TikTok

TikTok uses the TikTok for Developers Login Kit + Content Posting API.

1. Create a developer app

   Go to TikTok for Developers → Manage apps → create an app.

2. Add Login Kit and Content Posting API

   Add the Login Kit and the Content Posting API products to the app.

3. Set the redirect URI

   Add the Redirect URI: https://your-domain.com/app/social-media-studio/callback/tiktok

4. Request scopes

   Enable: user.info.basic, user.info.profile, video.upload, video.publish, photo.upload.

5. Copy the credentials

   From the app’s Credentials, copy the Client Key and Client Secret.

6. Paste into the plugin

   Social Media Studio config → TikTok → paste Client Key + Client Secret → toggle on → Save.

Scopes requested: user.info.basic,user.info.profile,video.upload,video.publish,photo.upload.

Until your TikTok app is audited/approved, posts are created as private (SELF_ONLY) and only accounts added as test users can connect. Submit the app for review and complete URL-prefix verification of your domain to publish publicly for all users.

YouTube & YouTube Shorts

Both use one Google Cloud OAuth client and the YouTube Data API v3.

1. Create a Google Cloud project

   Go to the Google Cloud Console → create (or select) a project.

2. Enable the YouTube Data API v3

   APIs & Services → Library → enable YouTube Data API v3.

3. Configure the OAuth consent screen

   APIs & Services → OAuth consent screen → choose External, fill in app name, support email and your domain. Add the scopes: .../auth/youtube.upload, .../auth/youtube.readonly, .../auth/userinfo.profile, .../auth/userinfo.email.

4. Create an OAuth client ID

   APIs & Services → Credentials → Create credentials → OAuth client ID → Web application. Under Authorized redirect URIs, add BOTH:

   • https://your-domain.com/app/social-media-studio/callback/youtube
   • https://your-domain.com/app/social-media-studio/callback/youtube-shorts
5. Copy the credentials

   Copy the Client ID and Client Secret.

6. Paste into the plugin

   Social Media Studio config → YouTube & Shorts → paste Client ID + Client Secret → toggle on → Save.

Scopes requested: youtube.upload, youtube.readonly, userinfo.profile, userinfo.email.

A brand-new Google project is in Testing mode and only allows the test users you list. To serve real customers, submit the consent screen for Google verification (required for the youtube.upload sensitive scope) and publish the app. Until verified, uploads from unverified projects default to private visibility.

Configure Social Media Studio

Go to Admin → General Settings → Plugins → Social Media Studio (/app/admin/general/plugins/social-media-studio). The screen has these sections.

General

Setting	Purpose
Enable Social Media Studio	Master switch. When on, the studio appears in user menus and becomes usable. Off by default.
Free Tier Access	When on, users without a paid plan can use the studio. When off, only subscribers get access.
AI caption rate (credits per 1000 words)	Cost of generating a caption with AI in the composer. Integer 1–999, default 2. Publishing itself is always free.

Networks

One card per network with an enable switch, the Client ID / Secret (or Client Key / Secret for TikTok) fields, and the read-only callback URL(s) to copy into that network’s developer app (see Register a developer app). YouTube shows both the YouTube and Shorts callback URLs.

A network only appears for users to connect when its switch is on and its credentials are filled.

All client secrets are stored encrypted using your app APP_KEY — never in .env and never shown back in plain text after saving.

Click Save to persist all sections.

Scheduling — cron requirement

Immediate posts publish during the web request. Scheduled and auto-repost posts are published by a background command that the Laravel scheduler runs every minute.

For scheduling to work, the host must run Laravel’s single scheduler cron entry:

* * * * * cd /path-to-your-project && php artisan schedule:run >> /dev/null 2>&1

This is the same cron the rest of MagicAds (Avatar Studio, UGC Factory, etc.) already relies on — if those work, scheduling works. The plugin self-registers social-media-studio:publish-due (guarded so it only runs when installed); each minute it publishes everything that’s due and re-arms the next run for auto-repost campaigns until their end date.

Without the cron, immediate posts still publish but scheduled and auto-repost posts will never go out. Confirm the cron is configured on production and VPS hosts.

Grant access by plan

Access is gated in two layers:

1. Platform layer — the master Enable Social Media Studio switch must be on.
2. User layer — who actually gets the studio:
   • Subscribed users (on any plan): access is granted.
   • Non-subscribed users (no plan): access only when both Enable Social Media Studio and Free Tier Access are on.

When the studio is offered platform-wide but the current user isn’t eligible, it appears as a locked, upgrade-to-unlock entry that nudges the user toward a plan rather than hiding it entirely.

Because publishing is free and only AI caption generation spends credits, plan-based limits are enforced naturally through each user’s credit balance.

Go-live checklist

1. Install the plugin

   Admin → General Settings → Plugins → Social Media Studio → Install.

2. Register developer apps

   For each network you want to offer, register its OAuth app and whitelist the callback URL.

3. Add the credentials

   Social Media Studio config → paste each network’s Client ID/Secret and toggle those networks on.

4. Add an OpenAI key (optional)

   For the in-composer AI caption writer, add an OpenAI key in Admin → AI Settings.

5. Set the AI caption rate

   Adjust AI caption rate (credits per 1000 words), then Save.

6. Confirm the cron

   Ensure php artisan schedule:run runs every minute on the server.

7. Enable the feature

   Turn on Enable Social Media Studio. Enable Free Tier Access if desired.

8. Verify as a user

   Log in as an eligible user → Connections → connect an account → Compose → publish a test post and confirm it lands on the network.

Once every step above is green, Social Media Studio is live. Proceed to the section below on how to use it.

How to Use

All tools live under Social Media Studio in the user sidebar.

Connections

Connect an account with one click — the user is sent to the network’s OAuth consent screen and returned with an authorized, encrypted token. From here they can pause (temporarily exclude an account from publishing), reactivate, or disconnect it. Facebook yields one connection per Page; Instagram one per linked Business account; YouTube and Shorts are separate connections.

Compose

The studio centerpiece:

1. Caption

   Load it from a saved Ad Copy variant, type it, or generate it with AI (pick a tone; this spends credits at the configured rate).

2. Media

   Attach an existing Ad Creative (image or video). Optional for networks that allow text-only.

3. Publish to

   Choose target accounts. The studio validates each account against the active content and dims incompatible ones with the reason (e.g. “Instagram requires an image or video”, “YouTube does not support images”). Use Select eligible to pick all valid targets at once.

4. When

   Choose Now, Schedule (date & time), or Auto-repost (start, end, interval and which days).

5. Live preview

   A device-frame preview renders the post exactly as it will look on the selected network; switch networks with the icon row.

Per-network content rules

The composer enforces each network’s capabilities automatically:

Network	Text-only	Image	Video	Caption limit
X (Twitter)	Yes	Yes	Yes	280
LinkedIn	Yes	Yes	Yes	3,000
Facebook	Yes	Yes	Yes	63,206
Instagram	No (media required)	Yes	Yes (Reels)	2,200
TikTok	No (media required)	Yes	Yes	2,200
YouTube	No (video required)	No	Yes	5,000
YouTube Shorts	No (vertical video required)	No	Yes	5,000

Captions longer than a network’s limit are trimmed automatically for that network only.

Calendar

A two-column timeline: Upcoming (scheduled and auto-repost deliveries grouped by day, with the repost badge) and Recently published (with links to the live posts).

Posts

A filterable history (Scheduled / Completed / Partial / Failed). Each row shows the caption, a chip per target network coloured by outcome, and the created time. Open any post for a per-network breakdown (status, publish time or error, and a link to the live post), or delete it.

Media & storage

Networks that pull media from a URL (Facebook, Instagram, TikTok photos) need the creative to be reachable publicly. Local studio results are served from the public results disk and work out of the box. If you offload creatives to a cloud provider (Amazon S3 / Wasabi plugin), the studio resolves the provider’s public/signed URL automatically; for binary-upload networks (X, LinkedIn, YouTube) it downloads the file server-side and streams it to the API.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
Studio doesn’t appear for a user	Master switch off, or a plan-less user with Free Tier off	Enable the master switch; enable Free Tier Access for plan-less users.
A network isn’t offered on Connections	Network switch off or credentials missing	Enable the network and add its Client ID/Secret in the config.
”is not configured yet” when connecting	Credentials missing/incorrect for that network	Re-check the Client ID/Secret and the whitelisted callback URL.
”Security verification failed” on callback	OAuth state mismatch / lost session	Retry the connection; ensure cookies/session work and the callback URL matches exactly.
Connect fails with a redirect-URI error	The callback URL isn’t whitelisted in the developer app	Copy the exact URL from the config screen into the network’s redirect URI list.
Only test users can connect	The developer app is in Development/Testing mode	Complete the network’s App Review/verification and switch the app to Live.
Scheduled posts never go out	Cron not running	Configure * * * * * php artisan schedule:run.
”The account token expired — please reconnect”	OAuth token expired and couldn’t refresh	The user reconnects the account from Connections.
Instagram/TikTok says media unreachable	Creative not publicly reachable	Ensure the results disk is public, or enable a cloud storage plugin (S3/Wasabi).
AI caption returns nothing / “not configured”	No OpenAI key in AI Settings, or insufficient credits	Add an openai_key in Admin → AI Settings; ensure the user has enough credits.
Post shows Partial	Some networks succeeded, others failed	Open the post to see the per-network error and retry.
X posting rejected / capped	X Free tier write limit reached	Posting on X effectively requires a paid API tier (Basic or higher); upgrade the X API plan.

Access/refresh tokens are stored encrypted. Publishing and scheduling are always free; only AI caption generation deducts credits, and only on a successful generation.